TheESP – Ep. #403 – Retract homeopathy!

– with Norbert Aust

After the normal meet and greet, we have an interview with Norbert Aust – German skeptic and one of the initiators of INH, Information Network Homeopathy. He brings us up to date on what’s going on and reports on the fight to get fraudulent and incorrect ‘scientific’ papers retracted. We later get a ‘TWISH’ about the ‘Festival of Reason’, a failed and misguided attempt to get rid of religion during the French revolution. Then, it’s time for the news:

• TURKEY: Did archeologists find Noah’s Ark?
• UK: ‘Conversion therapy’: UK government kicks ban down the road?
• GERMANY: Esoterics prey on people with fertility issues
• INTERNATIONAL: Global survey finds 85% of people worried about online disinformation

This week’s Really Wrong Award goes to the BBC and to Michael Mosley for spreading nonsense on the ‘Just One Thing’ podcast.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes
 
0:00:34 INTRO

0:00:59 GREETINGS

• We had technical issues with last episode, had to change platform for the podcast files
• WTF Talk – Satanic Panic Update next Monday
  • WTF talk: https://www.wtf-leipzig.de/wtf-talk/
• Update from Olaf regarding last week’s Word of the Week

0:09:19 INTERVIEW

• We talk to Norbert Aust, German skeptical activist about fighting pseudoscience and homeopathy
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2023/11/01/paper-on-homeopathy-for-adhd-retracted-for-deficiencies/

0:25:56 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 10 November 1793: Festival of Reason, organised by members of the French Convention
  • World History: https://www.worldhistory.org/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being/

0:32:14 NEWS

• TURKEY: Did archeologists find Noah’s Ark?
  • IFL Science: https://www.iflscience.com/have-archaeologists-discovered-noahs-ark-71433
• UK: ‘Conversion therapy’: UK government kicks ban down the road?
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/conversion-therapy-uk-government-kicks-ban-down-the-road-and-theres-a-major-problem-with-whats-been-proposed-so-far-198370
  • Stonewall: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/stonewall-statement-uk-governments-failure-ban-conversion-therapy
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/19/rishi-sunak-ban-gay-and-trans-conversion-practices
  • Pink News: https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/09/13/king-charles-prince-william-lgbtq-rights/
• GERMANY: Esoterics prey on people with fertility issues
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2023/11/03/podcast-mit-esoterik-gegen-unerfuellten-kinderwunsch/
• INTERNATIONAL: Global survey finds 85% of people worried about online disinformation
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/07/85-of-people-worry-about-online-disinformation-global-survey-finds

0:53:23 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: The BBC and Michael Mosley, for not taking their responsibilities seriously
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2023/11/the-bbc-michael-mosely-air-ionization-depression-and-an-appalling-lack-of-critical-thinking/

0:56:24 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“We need to let data drive our decisions, not our prejudices.”
/ Hans Rosling (27 July 1948 – 7 February 2017), Swedish physician, academic and public speaker. /

0:57:53 OUTRO

0:59:08 OUT-TAKES